Finish Line crowd for 3rd Wave finishers- Boston

[Robinandamelia]

Did anyone run Boston last year (or watch someone), who ran in the 3rd wave? We are trying to figure out the best place for friends/family to watch from on Monday. Originally we were thinking further back on the course but then I thought, since I'm in the 3rd wave, the crowds at the finish line may thin out quite a bit before I get there (since 19,000 people should be finished by then).

Just looking for some spectator input.....

[deerdree]

my experience was that the crowds got thicker as the race progressed (maybe it was the post-brunch crowd?).

we were right on the corner of Hereford and Boylston (prime spot!). i saw footage on the news of spectators sleeping at the finish line the night before the race so i panicked and insisted we get out of the hotel asap in the morning. turns out, they'd filmed the only two people who were sleeping there. we bought some lawn chairs at the walgreens on boylston and set up shop well before the race started (to cheer for someone in wave 2). it was actually wasn't insane when the leaders went by, but as the race progressed (and it seems to go by really quickly), the crowds along the sidewalk got thicker. and drunker. i got the sense that some people were there to cheer for a runner, but lots of people were just there to cheer in general, so it doesn't necessarily thin out as people finish, the way you might see at a 'regular' race. i was still cheering when the 3rd wave runners came through, and it was packed.

that's not to say that they shouldn't cheer at the finish line, just that they shouldn't wander up a few minutes before you finish and expect to get a great view (at least not without some expert elbow jabbing). i do think the finish line (or close to it) was the great place to watch - there's nothing like cheering at the boston marathon. i was actually disappointed when our runner went by and we had to leave!

[Robinandamelia]

Thanks that was helpful.

[Irongirl]

for what it's worth, from my recollection - we were able to see Jo-Jo along the route, and then again at the finish line. I totally forget how we did that though. I blame pregnancy brain (then).

[deerdree]

for what it's worth, from my recollection - we were able to see Jo-Jo along the route, and then again at the finish line. I totally forget how we did that though. I blame pregnancy brain (then).

it sounds like she saw you at 38 km - maybe you saw her before that, too?

At the 38km mark I saw my amazing support team...La, Irongirl, and ironboy. These Maniacs are awesome and I felt so blessed to have them there for me at Boston. I was telling my parents and dh what good care they took of me. The three of them say they owe you guys

our original plan was to cheer earlier on in the race and then head to the finish, but when we got there we realized that it would be too hard to pull off on public transit and we didn't want the hassle of renting a car.

i'm not sure where 38 km is, but it looks like it was a great spot for cheering - the crowds definitely aren't as thick as where i was on the final stretch, even when Lance was going by. here are some of the pictures:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25572

[deerdree]

for comparison, this is what the crowds looked like across from me, with about 600 m to the finish line. this is wave 2:



this guy came late but managed to get a good view (until the police noticed):

[Robinandamelia]

Thanks guys!

[La]

38K was outside Jo-jo's hotel. After we saw her, we jumped on the T and headed downtown, but it was SO PACKED on the train as well as the crowds of people getting off the train that we weren't able to see her finish, just met up with her in the meeting area after the finish line.

Theoretically, you can get anywhere on the course by public transit, but it's not practical because of the crowds and the delays on the trains.

Last year, CinC and I stood on the sunny side of Hereford St (about 1K from the finish line) and then walked around the back of Hynes to the family meeting area as there was no other way of getting there due to the crowds.

[purdy65]

DH and I have gone over the map. I think he's going to try to get to the Boyleston/Heresford area. Our hotel is VERY close to the finish though, so our plan is for him to get as close to the finish as he can, then he can scoot over to the family meeting area. Otherwise it's meeting back at the hotel.

[orleansrunner1962]

DH and I have gone over the map. I think he's going to try to get to the Boyleston/Heresford area. Our hotel is VERY close to the finish though, so our plan is for him to get as close to the finish as he can, then he can scoot over to the family meeting area. Otherwise it's meeting back at the hotel.

Yep, similar plan for us...... always need a "backup" plan......

[Jogger Barbie]

Tip for meeting up after: there is a meeting area and IIRC it's divided alphabetically. Ed had made a sign that said "Go Jogger Barbie Go" in big pink and blue letters. It was how I found him cheering for me on the course, and how I found him in the meeting area. He told me later that he heard other people on cell phones talking to the runners they were looking for and saying, "Look for the guy with the pink and blue sign that says Jogger Barbie - I'm right near him", LOL.

[La]

Tip for meeting up after: there is a meeting area and IIRC it's divided alphabetically. Ed had made a sign that said "Go Jogger Barbie Go" in big pink and blue letters. It was how I found him cheering for me on the course, and how I found him in the meeting area. He told me later that he heard other people on cell phones talking to the runners they were looking for and saying, "Look for the guy with the pink and blue sign that says Jogger Barbie - I'm right near him", LOL.

The sign I had said, "Leo You Suck." That got a lot of attention, too!

[deerdree]

DH and I have gone over the map. I think he's going to try to get to the Boyleston/Heresford area. Our hotel is VERY close to the finish though, so our plan is for him to get as close to the finish as he can, then he can scoot over to the family meeting area. Otherwise it's meeting back at the hotel.

that's what we did. actually, colette ended up getting to the meet-up area before we did, partly because we had to take the long way around (it was too crowded to walk down boylston, as La said) and partly because we stopped at starbucks for a washroom break and a latte.

i had a "go colette" sign that helped us find her in the meet-up area, but it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. we saw each other pretty much as soon as we got to the "D" section. then we scooted over to the tents to buy more Boston paraphernalia because after watching the race and realizing how special it is, we realized we didn't buy enough at the expo. buy everything! two of everything!

[DJHL]

DH and I have gone over the map. I think he's going to try to get to the Boyleston/Heresford area. Our hotel is VERY close to the finish though, so our plan is for him to get as close to the finish as he can, then he can scoot over to the family meeting area. Otherwise it's meeting back at the hotel.

that's what we did. actually, colette ended up getting to the meet-up area before we did, partly because we had to take the long way around (it was too crowded to walk down boylston, as La said) and partly because we stopped at starbucks for a washroom break and a latte.

i had a "go colette" sign that helped us find her in the meet-up area, but it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. we saw each other pretty much as soon as we got to the "D" section. then we scooted over to the tents to buy more Boston paraphernalia because after watching the race and realizing how special it is, we realized we didn't buy enough at the expo. buy everything! two of everything!

Signs appear to be very helpful. Last year, DW met me at the family meeting area after the race - it took a long time for me to get through - and she had fashioned a sign while waiting that worked a charm.

[Mid_Packer]

A general observation is that is easier for you to find a specators, (provided you know where to look) than it is for them to find you--too many people going by and you have an unknown arrival time at any point unless they have live tracking and they are near one of 5km increments. So the the words of wisdon given to me in prior years was for the spectaor to have something visual---balloons, Pink jogger barbie sign or whatever.

Location--my people were at the corner of Boyston and Herford--2 reasons. Its a stretch of say 200 meters and they can try to find you for that length before you turn onto Boylston..they are running towards you whereas elsewhere on the course your are just running past and tehy might not find you till you are there.
Second, its a bit uphill which for them gives them a sligh advantage line of sight.

When you have passed they then need to get the meeting area and there are open streets that they can use ..ie when you get on Boylston they can walk back oppostie direction for 1 block to get on the right side of the road for the meeting area.

Also remember Boston has free wifi all downtown so there are some options for live information.

Just my 3 cnets ( 2 + inflation)

Dave

[deerdree]

Also remember Boston has free wifi all downtown so there are some options for live information.

Just my 3 cnets ( 2 + inflation)

Dave

i was going to say this in the thread re: text messaging. i had a free wifi connection while i was standing on that corner, so i was actually getting updates from facebook and RM, from people who were tracking at home. that seemed much more reliable than waiting for the text messages, and i was able to get a heads-up of when to look for certain people (ie, when it was posted that they'd crossed 40k, i knew to really start watching the crowds).

[purdy65]

Also remember Boston has free wifi all downtown so there are some options for live information.

Just my 3 cnets ( 2 + inflation)

Dave

i was going to say this in the thread re: text messaging. i had a free wifi connection while i was standing on that corner, so i was actually getting updates from facebook and RM, from people who were tracking at home. that seemed much more reliable than waiting for the text messages, and i was able to get a heads-up of when to look for certain people (ie, when it was posted that they'd crossed 40k, i knew to really start watching the crowds).

Ohh!!! that's great to hear! I will tell DH to bring his iPad. Does the tracking have a mobile website I wonder?

[La]

Location--my people were at the corner of Boyston and Herford--2 reasons. Its a stretch of say 200 meters and they can try to find you for that length before you turn onto Boylston..they are running towards you whereas elsewhere on the course your are just running past and tehy might not find you till you are there.
Second, its a bit uphill which for them gives them a sligh advantage line of sight.

That's a really busy (and fun and exciting and great) corner, so get there early!

Hereford and Boylston is a T intersection, so if you stand at the top-centre of the T on the south side of Boylston (the side where Hynes Convention Centre is) you'll have a great sightline as Dave says.